Hidden Beneath
by xXIts-PsychoticXx
Summary: When Max find out her whole life was fake, she escapes Itex, and become a hobo in Boston. Now Itex is after her, when she runs into a boy who works in his mothers baker, he is fourced to go after her when she steals his bike.Rated T cuz i rate evrything T
1. Sickness

**Children wake up;  
hold your mistake up,  
before they turn the summer into dust.**

If the children don't grow up,  
our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up.  
We're just a million little god's causing rain storms turning' every good thing to rust.

**-Arcade Fire, Wake Up**

**_Chapter One_**

-----Max-----

With a cup of hot tea, I sat across the old, wooden coffee table from my mom. Silence lingered in the air, like it did everyday at tea time.

Jeb was tending to things in the barn, and would be in soon.

"How has your day been, maximum?" Valencia asked.

"It's alright." I replied dully. The front door creaked open as Jeb walked in, then it slammed shut behind him.

"Hello, Dear." He greeted my mom, and then turning to me greeted, "Hello, Max."

"Good morning." Valencia replied. Nodding my hello in his direction, I picked up my cup of tea and took a sip.

"I'll be going to town to buy some more groceries." My mom said as she placed her cup on the matching saucer.

"Can I come?" I asked. I always wanted to go places with my mom but she never let me come. I had never even been past the woods at my house.

My thoughts got interrupted when a knock sounded at the door. "I'll get it." Jeb said as he walked to the door. A tall red haired woman walked in, and my mother stood to greet her. "Max meet Dr. Brigid, She's here to help you."

Perplexed, I started at the woman for a minute. "But…I don't understand."

"You're sick Max." The doctor replied.

"I'm not sick!" I exclaimed. "I feel fine."

"But you're sick of this place, aren't you Max?"

Looking down into the light brown mixture of my tea, I nodded. Standing up, I put my tea cup on its blue saucer. Sweetly my mom kissed my cheek goodbye; my dad opened his arms to me for a hug. "The key to your escape is hidden beneath." He whispered into my ear.

Perplexed I took a step back. "Goodbye, Max." He said and walked away. Slowly I followed the doctor from the house into the yard.

Turning around I got on last glance at the old yellow farm house. Its white windows were all squeaky clean along with everything else in the house.

A blind fold covered my eyes, as they put me in their large black SUV.

----Fang----

_Boston, Massachusetts _

WACK! The end of Mr. Burn's ruler slammed against the side of my desk waking me up. "Mr. Fagan Ridde, glad you could join us." He said as he kept walking down the aisle.

The bell rang awaking the rest of the sleeping kids.

Everyone grabbed their stuff and ran out the door. I followed their actions, and collected my own stuff.

"Wait, Mr. Ridde." Mr. Burns yelled after me before I exited the room. "You've slept through my class for the last week."

Wishing for this to hurry so I could get to work, I remained quiet. It was better to just let him talk.

Sighing, Mr. Burns sat on her dark wooden desk. "Try to sleep at night not during my class. Or sleep in another class-" The second bell rung cutting him off. I was out of there before he could say any more.

Iggy was waiting for me at my locker. "Fang, do you want your mom to kill us?" he asked. "Because if we're late she will murder us." My name was Fagan, but people just called me Fang.

"I know." Quickly, I shoved my unneeded books into my locker and the others into my back pack.

----Max-----

The ride wasn't as long as I expected. It seemed as if I had neighbors, and that were they took me.

The building they took me in was very dim light. Removing my blind fold, I saw that everything was whit, including the uniforms of the people.

"This way Maximum Batchelder." Dr. Brigid said as she took my arm and pulled down a hall. The lights above us flickered, sending a rain of sparks down on us. We walked up to a large door. Two men dressed in all white stopped us.

"Identification." One of eth men said. Dr. Brigid reached in her pocket and handed them a little ID thing.

Nodding the open the door to a room full of cages, and defining noise. "Max," Dr. Brigid said over the noise. "This will be your home if you try to escape." Someone behind me shoved me into the odd room.

"Just breathe." Someone said and a white rag covered my nose and mouth. Desperate for air I inhaled the poison on the rag. Soon afterward, the noise was gone.

**Review, those of you who have read my other stories, I normally just write, no brainstorming or anything, and I normally just give up on those half way through, but just know I actually plotted for this. **


	2. Tall Fence

**So we made the hard decision**

**And we each made an incision**

**Past our muscles and our bones**

**Saw our hearts were little stones**

**Pulled 'em out they weren't beating**

**And we weren't even bleeding**

**As we lay 'em on the granite counter top**

**We beat 'em up**

**Against each other**

**We struck 'em hard**

**Against each other**

**We struck 'em so hard**

**So hard until they sparked**

**-Regina Specktor, the Calculation**

**_Chapter Two_**

-----Max-----

"Day three." I heard someone say. Cold fingers lifted my wrist. "Her pulse is getting faster, I think she's waking up."

Something was under my back, and it was bugging me. I shifted a little on the table I was laying on to try and move the thing out from under me. "She's moving." Another voice said.

Someone pried open one of my eyes and shined a light into it. I opened both my eyes and shoved the man away.

"Sit her up."The man that I shoved said. Everything in this room was white, except the gray sweat pants I was wearing; my shirt on the other hand was white.

The second man obeyed his command and pulled my up into sitting position. Something caught my eye. I glanced behind me to see large wings sticking out of my back; white wings of course.

Stunned, I just sat there staring at them as the two men observed their work. "What…did…they…do to me?" I whispered to myself. I don't think either of them heard me say it.

"She's fine and the wings are good." One man said to the other.

The door opened, and Jeb walked in. "Dad!" I yelled. He ignored me and started talking to one of eth men. His voice wasn't monotone like it was before.

"Dad?" I didn't understand any of this. I just wanted to go home.

"Max." It was Jeb speaking to me. I looked up at him. "Come with me, and I'll get you something to eat."

I had to get out of this place, and find my parents, my real ones…but were they my real parents?

Slowly, I climbed off the table. Since I didn't know what to do with the large wings exposed from my back, I let them drag on the floor behind me.

As we walked I watched my feet moved over the tiled floor. The hall was silent and dim light. Chills covered my arms as we neared a double door. It looked similar to that loud, odd room they took me to before.

"Remember," he said as he opened the door. "The key is hidden beneath." Then he shoved me into the room closing the door behind me.

Inside the doors was a room full of mutant looking people in cloths like mine. "Over there is the food line." Jeb said then left, closing the door behind him.

-----Fang-----

_Beep. Beep. _I alarm awoke me on Sunday morning. I had to work today in my mom's café. Lazily I wrapped a blanket around me and walked out to the living room were Eric, my step dad, was lounging watching wrestling.

Mom was in the kitchen making food. "You better hurry and eat because you have to be down stairs in fifteen minutes." Mom said as I sat down at the little kitchen table.

Handing me my plate, she poured syrup over my pandakes.

"Eat, then go shower." With that I ravenously devoured the pancakes and went to shower.

-----Max-----

I didn't like there cafeteria food, it was to plain and…sick.

Large windows lined one wall of the cafeteria. You could see woods surrounding the place. What if this wasn't like my property and there wasn't large fences on the other side of those trees.

The next thing I noticed was the basketball court and play ground outside. A small red door led out to a yard full of different play things. There were little kids running around on them.

"They put the ones that try to escape in cages." A girl said behind me. Turning around I noticed the girl had wings too, but hers were brown like her skin.

"The name's Nudge." She said shaking my hand.

"Max." I replied.

I looked back out at the playground. "What's on the other side of those woods?" I asked.

"Nothing…because they never end."

-------

Ignoring what Nudge had said about the whole 'Cage' thing, I was going to get out of this place tonight. And I was going to leave through those woods.

All night I attempted to get used to my wings, but the most I could do was pull them into my back and pull them out.

The school, as they called it, was dark and lifeless. Looking out my dorm window I peered into the schools' windows to try and make out any figure.

Startling me, Nudge came up behind me. "Max, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to get out of this place; you can come if you want."

"Didn't you hear what I said? They'd just catch you and put you into a cage."

"But they won't catch me, cause I'm going through those." I said pointing to the woods.

Nudge just stared at me like I was retarded. "You're just going to get lost." She said.

Ironing her I opened my window and climbed out onto the ground. Surprisingly she followed.

Racing toward the woods, we burst through the bushes and took off. Sirens sounded from the school as we neared a tall fence. "Oh No." Nudge said as she pushed herself against the fence.

**Review Please, Cause I like reviews **

**-Jasper!**


	3. Headlights

**She said I think I'll go to Boston...  
I think I'll start a new life,  
I think I'll start it over, where no one knows my name.**

**-Augustana, Boston **

**_Chapter three_**

-----Max----

At first Nudge seemed frightened, but then with confidence she leaped forward catching them off guard. Her wings popped out and caught the wind pulling her up into the sky.

Quickly I began climbing the fence. My back pack was weighing down on me making it harder to climb but I made it to the top.

The fence was almost ten feet high. I looked back over my shoulder and saw Nudge flying into the sky distracting them. Leaping from the fence, I let my wings catch the wind so I could use them as a parachute.

They took me up over the trees were Nudge was. The good thing was I got out of there, the bad thing is, I don't know how to use my wings.

After coasting a few yards away from where the fence was, I began to lower. At first I was drifting down, but then it turned to free fall.

Tree branches whipped at my face as I fell through the dense forest. Crashing into large branch, I dangled limp like a hunted animal over the branch, about seven feet from the ground.

I could hear the white coats running through the woods. They had dogs, wolf things-Erazers- with them. I could hear cars driving around, meaning a road was near.

My ribs ached from where I hit the branch, and my face stung from where the branches cut them. Pulling myself onto the branch I watched as the white coats and their odd looking dogs came into view.

The dogs looked like they were hybrids between human and wolf. A chill ran up my back as the thought of the branch breaking and me landing on one of those 'Dogs' crossed my mind.

The white coats looked around, and then kept going. Letting a sigh of relief escape my lips, I pushed myself up and against the tree.

Where was Nudge? I wondered.

I heard another car drive by. Climbing from the tree, I placed my feet on the ground and pulled my wings in. Pulling a navy blue jacket, I planned to use to cover up the slits in my shirt. My gray sweat pants were covered with dirt and brush from the trees.

Cautiously, I crept toward the road, keeping my eyes peeled for white coats of freakish dogs. When the road was in view I began hitch hiking toward the sign that said 'Boston Massachusetts'.

-----Fang----

With 'Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades' by 'Brand New' playing in the background, I wiped the café's counters. I had closed up shop a few minutes early so I could get a good start to Iggy's.

A woman came to the door and knocked. I let her in. "Can I help you?" I asked.

Pulling a piece of paper out of the folder in her arms, she showed me a picture of two girls, one with wavy light brown-almost blonde- hair and brown eyes, the other with mocha colored skin and frizzy dark hair. "Seen either of them?" She asked.

I shook my head. "Well," digging back in the folder she pulled out a little card. "If you do see them, call this number."

Nodding I looked at the slip of paper; Dr. Brigid with Batchelder corp. When I looked back up she was gone.

Sighing I walked to the back, hung up my work apron, donned my jacket and went out the back door. I was supposed to meet Iggy at the library tonight.

Grabbing my bike, I jumped on and pulled out of the alley, and rode down the side walk.

-----Max-----

Bright city lights light the road ahead of me; that's how I knew I was in Boston. Of course I didn't really know where Boston was. I've heard my parents mention it in my lessons. It's because of my lessons I know anything other than "run around freely".

Taking a deep breath, I pushed forward. Where was Nudge? I wondered as I walked through a large tunnel. Cars were everywhere, along with people. So, this was a city.

Passing by different little shops, I tried to look for somewhere 'safe' looking. Something on a book store caught my eye. Dr. Brigid stood inside talking to a worker.

My heart began to beat fast. Has she found Nudge? Was she looking for us? Then she saw me.

Hastily I ran down the side walk, rounding corners until the book store was long behind me. Adrenaline pulsing through my veins, I kept running. Sharply rounding a corner BAM! I smack right into a bike rider. The hit knocked us both over.

"What the hell!" He yelled as he climbed to his feet and brushed himself off. When he turned and looked at me, he froze like a dead person was standing in front of him. Hints of recognition. "Ugh…" He began but trailed off not able to find the right words.

A black SUV rounded into the alley, and it didn't take long for me to realize who it was. Grabbing the boy's bike I jumped on and peddled away as quick I could. "Hey! That's my bike!" He yelled after me.

Ignoring him I kept on, twisting my way through people and taking random routes through the city.

When I reached city limits I kept going; peddling and peddling. It didn't take long until I reached a sign saying, Somerville, Massachusetts. Then I accidently crashed the boy's bike into it.

-----Fang----

It took forever to get way from those people. They wanted to know if I knew her and all this weird stuff. I just explained to them about how I wanted my bike back, which I did.

I had to call Iggy, and made him come pick me up. "I want my bike back." I said. We were in the car now.

"Why do those people want her?" He asked. "I bet she's some sort of teenage assassin!"

"I want my bike back." I repeated.

"How are we supposed to find it?"

"I don't know….we can look for it tomorrow." I said and looked out the window at the passing trees.

We were on our way to Ella Martinez's sweet seventeen-she didn't get her sweet sixteen party so seventeen. Unfortunately it was in Somerville.

Slowly we neared the Somerville sign, with my bike smashed into the front of it. "Dude," Iggy said. "I found your bike."

**His bike died! REVIEW! **

**-Jasper**


	4. Broken Bikes

**Poke at my iris, why can't I cry about this?**

**Maybe there's something that I don't know?**

**We adopt a brand new language.**

**Communicate through pursed lips.**

**-Frightened Rabbit, Poke**

**_Chapter Four_**

-------Max------

After smashing the bike into the sign, I stood there staring at the bent front wheel and lose handlebars. Grabbing the handle bars, I yanked them off. "Good weapon." I mumbled to myself as I hooked them onto my back pack.

My, already cut up, face had a gash above the eye to add to the little scratches from the trees, and my elbow was skinned.

Leaving the bike behind, I began walking towards Somerville.

Every once in a while a car would drive by, their headlights sending shadows through the woods. The town was coming into view now. Its brick sidewalks had very few people on them at this time.

A couple sat on a bench quietly whispering back and forth. As I kept walking I came up to a busy restaurant called "Mike's Harpoon". It looked like someone was having a birthday party in there.

Tired and hungry from the day, I stood there watching happy teens eat pizza. My stomach began to violently growl. Another car drove by and parked on the curb. After a few minutes of torturing myself by watching these people eat, I kept walking.

"Hey!" someone yelled. Surprised I turned around, to see the guy who's bike I stole angrily storming towards me. His friend had gone into the pizza place "You stole, then destroyed my bike!" he said as he came and stood in front of me.

He was taller than me, shaggy dark hair, dark blue eye, and mad. "I don't have your bike…" I said as I began walking away.

"But you have my handle bars." He said. I had forgot about those, and they were just hanging on my back pack.

"I need them." I said as I kept walking.

"Ha, you need them." He said in disbelief. "I need them…no I need a new bike." He was now walking beside me.

"Leave me alone." I said as I quickened my pace, he did the same. "Can I just have my handlebars back?" he asked.

"No…" I turned around and walked the other way catching him off guard. My stomach was still growling. Then I realized I hadn't eat in days. I was unconscious for three, and didn't eat the whole time I was at that creepy place, which was a day, and today I hadn't eaten.

"Look," He began. He was next to me again. "I'll make a deal with you. You give me my handle bars and I'll buy you some food." I stopped walking and looked at him.

Sighing, I pulled the handle bars from my back pack and handed them to him. He took me down the street to a place called "O'sullivain's and sons". The inside smelled like hamburgers and fries.

"It's my uncle's place so get whatever you want." He said. Leading me to a seat by the window, we sat down. "What happened to your eye?" He asked.

"Oh…I crashed your bike."

"I see." A waitress came up to take our order.

"Fagan, haven't seen you for a while." She said as she pulled out a note pad. He just smiled at her. "What can I get you guys?" She asked. He ordered for us.

We ate in silence. When we were done I grabbed my back pack and stood up. "Thanks for the food." I said and began walking away.

"Hey," he came up beside me as I pushed through the door. "What's your name?"

"Maximum." I replied.

"Your just leaving?"

"Yeah, we had a deal I gave you the handle bars you bought me food. Now I'm going."

"Where?"

"That way." I said pointing down the street.

"Why are those people looking for you?" He asked.

"Why do you ask so many questions? But if you must know, I'm not sure why they are after me."

"So they just randomly started following you?"

"Something like that, now if you don't mind, I have to go."

I left him there on the side walk, as I crossed the street and disappeared into an alley.

**Review! **


	5. Somebody Wake Me Up

**She lives in a fairy tale****  
****Somewhere too far for us to find**  
**Forgotten the taste and smell**  
**Of the world that she's left behind**  
**It's all about the exposure the lens I told her**  
**The angles were all wrong now**  
**She's ripping wings off of butterflies**

**-Paramore, Brick by Boring Brick**

**-Chapter Five-**

----Max----

The sun was setting; I had been away from Itex for two days now. Doing nothing but walking around this small town, sleeping in alleys, using my back pack as a pillow.

Walk down the street, I watched the red brick road pass beneath my feet. Stopping, I looked into the window of a book store. A mother sat, with her little girl on her lap, reading "Where the Wild Things Are".

Farther down the street, I watched a couple walking hand in hand.

Silently, I stumbled into a narrow alley, where I made myself a bed, hidden in the back. A storm cloud had been forming all day, and it was beginning to drizzle. _Just my luck. _I thought, as I sat down and laid my back pack down.

Pulling my legs to my chest, I wrapped my jacket tighter around me and laid my head on my knees. The rain began to come down harder. Despite the freezing rain I managed to fall to sleep.

---

I awoke in the shower, still dressed. The warm water slid down my face. I was still home. Happily, I began scrubbing the mud and dried blood away, and washed my hair. _I knew it was all a dream. _I thought. _I never was taken away. _

Quickly, I stripped from my dirty clothes, and dried myself off. My room was across the hall, so I ran in and pulled on some clean jeansand a navy blue t-shirt.

The smell of my mother's homemade bread filled the house. My stomach growled, as I made my way down stairs. She was in the kitchen, pulling bread from the oven. "Mom!" I yelled and ran to embrace her.

I went right through her; and she didn't even see me. With a bright smile on her face, she took the bread to the table, where dad was reading newspaper and I was sitting. But that wasn't me, I was right here.

Slowly, I walked towards the happy looking family. "Mom…?" I waved a hand in front of her face.

"They can't see you Max." It was the other me talking.

Perplexed I looked at her. "And you can?"

"Yes…I've been watching you."

"But…who are you." I asked.

"I'm you silly." Slowly I reached out to see if my hand would go through her, it didn't. Looking back at my parents, I realized they paused once the other me started talking to me.

The other max stood, up leaving a frozen clone of herself in the seat. She reached out to touch my face, but I backed away. "They took you away Max, and now this is my family." She walked into the kitchen and pulled a large knife from a drawer. "And I'm not about to share it."

Slowly she cocked her head to the side, and began walking towards me. "I won't share them…I won't. You have to leave now." She reaped and raised the knife into the air.

"You're insane!" I exclaimed as I backed up until I was against the wall. I could feel it burning beneath my touch, and soon I went right through it. She was still coming at me Chanting "I won't share them" Knife raised, she walked through the hole I burned in the wall.

Panic was slowly climbing up my throat as my heart started beating faster. She was going to kill me. "I won't!" She screamed and jumped at me. Jumping backward, I fell into a grave shaped hole.

Dust flew up around me as I slammed into the dirt ground. Chocking on the dusty air in the hole, I looked up at the other my leaning over the edge of the whole with the knife still in the air.

The sound of dirt being shoveled drew my attention to the other side of the grave. Fagan was standing there, shovel full of dirt. "Good-bye Max." He said and began shoveling the dirt onto me.

"Stop." I yelled at him. But he kept shoveling. Breathing in the dusty air, I kept chocking.

"Maximum, Maximum." It was Nudge. Standing next to the other me. "I told you they'd catch you."

More and more dirt slowly, began to fill the hole, until everything was gone.

---

"Maximum…wake up." Someone was shaking my shoulders. Opening my eyes I looked up at Nudge.

"It's about time you woke up."

"Nudge?" stretching my aching legs out I look at the outfit I was wearing. The blue jeans and T-shirt I was were in the dream had replaced my mud sweats. Unable to fathom this odd occurrence, I combed my hair back with my fingers.

It was greasy before I fell asleep, and now I was clean and slick.

"What's going on?" I asked as I looked up at her.

**Review, since I know you thought that dream was wicked **

**-Jasper!**


	6. Inside My Mind

**I can hear it, the jet engine  
through the center of the storm  
and I'm thinking I'd  
prefer not to be rescued**

**-Jack's Mannequin, Rescued**

**_Chapter Six_**

**-**---Max----

"What's going on?" I asked looking up at her. Her dark hair was still wet from the rain.

"What do you mean; you look like you've been doing good." She said sitting down next to me. "You've got clean clothes, and you're clean."

"But I wasn't last night…" I replied perplexed as I poked a hole on my jeans.

She just started at me like I was nuts. "I'm not crazy!" I exclaimed.

"I know, I didn't think you were…but that's impossible." She said as she stood up.

Pulling my jacket back on, she pulled me to my feet. "Now, how'd you get food?"

"I stole some guys handle bars, and gave them back for food." I replied as I grabbed my damp back pack and walked with her out of the alley. My jacket was still a little damp as well.

"Where's this guy?" She asked as we passed the small book store. Shrugging, I kicked a rock into the road. "How are we going to get food? Well, I have ten bucks but…" I shrugged.

"How-" She began, "I don't know." I said getting annoyed by her questions.

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of bed." Turing to look at her, I made sure she could see my angry eyes.

"Nudge, I have a head ache, and I do NOT feel good right now. So if you would shut up please." I hissed.

Making a cat noise she put some distance between us, thank god. Walking in silence I watched my feet as we walked past O'Sullivan's and Sons. My stomach churned as I thought about the great food they had.

-----Fagan----

Sitting in the window seat of my mom's café, I watched the rain drip down the window.

"You know I'm still mad you skipped out on my party." Ella said as she sipped her coffee.

"What do you think Lisa will say if she finds out you bought some chick food?" Iggy asked from across the table.

"Who said she needed too?" I asked as I turned back to the table. The bell on the door rung as Lisa walked in. Her red hair was pulled back into a lose bun; her boots clanked against the floor as she walked.

"Speak of the devil and she will appear." Iggy said. I gave him the 'shut up' look.

"What were you guys just talking about?" She asked as she sat down next to me.

"How much Fagan just loves you, and he would never by another girl food." Ella said sarcastically. I gave her the 'shit up' look too.

"How sweet." Lisa said as she kissed my cheek. I just smiled at her and looked back out the window.

My mind wondered back to the odd girl, who came out of nowhere, toke my bike, then its handle bars, and after returning both just disappeared. Where was she now?

"What ya thinking about?" Lisa asked as she scooted closer to me. And wrapped her arms around my arm.

"Nothing just tired." I said as I pulled my arm away. Scooting my chair out I stood. "So I'm going to go take a nap."

"What kind of seventeen year old naps?" Iggy asked.

"A tired one." I replied as I left.

The cool air over whelmed me as I reached the top of the stairs. "God, Eric, how cold do you want it up here?" I asked as I passed through the living room. 300 played on the small TV.

"What, I like it this way." He replied. Laughing inside, I looked at him all bundled up like a giant baby in a red blanket on the old black leather couch. My room wasn't as cold, but it was still chilly.

Lazily, I pulled off my shoes and shirt and climbed into soft bed. I hadn't been sleeping good lately, and now it was effecting me. Curling into a ball, I wrapped my thick blanket tightly around myself and fell asleep to the sound of the rain hitting my window.

-----Max-----

Grabbing Nudge's arm, I pulled her into an alley as a black SUV with tinted windows slowly drove by. "We should get out of here." I whispered to her.

Once the car was out of sight, we cautiously walked out of the dirty alley. The sun was climbing higher in the sky and the storm cloud had been over Boston all day. I could see the rain falling from here, and as we got closer I could feel the chilled wind.

A chill crept down my back making me shiver. As I walked my jacket began to dry out, but in a few minutes it'd be socked again. Nudge was trudging along behind me, going on about hot coffee and cookies.

Cookies. I thought. The word drew my thoughts back to when I was fourteen and my mother's cookies were all that mattered.

"What do they do with our parents?" I asked her. She seemed to know a lot about what Itex does.

"They aren't real. They take people's DNA and create clones of them, then with DNA from each parent create a spawn, which would be us." She came up beside me. "They keep you in a large box, that's why you could never leave your property, and make you believe you just have a normal life. Then on the date," She said as she moved my hair away from my ear, "They turn into mutant hybrids."

"What date?" I asked.

"The date they put behind your ear. And yours was your sixteenth birthday. Mine was my thirteenth."

I just stood there, trying to process what she just said. "So I don't have parents?" I asked.

"You do, if you find the person they took DNA from, but they're normally just people that work in the labs. Like your dad for instance, Jed Batchelder, he's real; just not the same father you had your whole child hood.

Stunned, I reached behind my ear, to where the date was and slide my finger tips over the skin. "That's just messed up…." I said mostly to myself.

"Yeah," She said. "Itex is wacko."

For the rest of the walk to Boston, I tried to fathom everything she just told me. And it explains a lot. Like the fact my parents were robot, and that life was too good to be true. I wonder who my mom is.

My mind began to wonder when I heard it. I started as I whisper but grew louder. But as the sound grew my head ached worst and worst. "Max…?" Nudge was talking to me.

The sound grew and grew, into a loud screeching noise inside my head. Everything throbbed. "I need to sit down." I said as I leaned against a tree.

"Are you all right?" Nudge asked. She sounded concerned.

"Yeah, I just-" My head began throbbing worst. My fingers were tingling, and my arms were going numb.

"Max…you don't look so good." Nudge said.

Clasping my hand on either side of my head, I tried to get rid of the loud screeches. "I won't…" I could here the other me chanting again.

My whole body was tingling; my vision was beginning to fade. "Max…?" Everything went black.

**The more reviews, the quick I post more :) **


	7. Slaming Doors

**So one day he found her crying  
Coiled up on the dirty ground.  
Her prince finally came to save her  
and the rest you can figure out.  
But it was a trick.**

**-Paramore, Brick by Boring Brick **

**_Chapter Seven_**

------Nudge----

"Hang in there Max; we're close to the city." I said as I pulled her along the road. The rain was making the grass on eth side of eth road muddy. A trail was left behind as I pulled her through the mud. She was still unconscious, but seemed to be waking up.

I didn't have the strength to pull her all the way to the city. So I found a ditch behind some bushes and left gently placed her in it.

"I'm going to go get help." I said as I took the back pack from her. "I'll be back." Pulling the back pack onto my back, I ran towards the city.

I would have checked the pharmacy, but didn't was closed. My stomach was growling, and my head began to throb. My mind was rushing.

The sweet smell of fresh coffee and cinnamon scones drew my attention to a café. Reaching in my pocket I pulled out the ten dollars. Just on cup I thought as I opened the door and walked in. There was only one customer and a woman behind the counter.

"Good evening." She said with a beaming smile. "Irene!" a man yelled from the back room.

"Hold on." She said as she walked into the back room. While she was gone I looked at all the delicious looking pastries. Their sugary aroma filled my nose. The half melted chocolate chips on the cookies, made my mouth water.

A tall dark haired guy came from the back room. "Can I get you something?" He asked.

"Um," Pulling my attention from the cookies I looked up at him. "Just a cup of coffee; black." Nodding, he grabbed a badge cup and filled it with hot freshly brewed coffee.

"$3.68" he said as he handed me the cup. Handing him the money, I took the cup.

As I started to leave, I turned around. Maybe he could help me. I wondered. "Ugh, do you have any aspirin?"

"Yeah, hang on." He said as he walked back into eth back room. Look around to find the other costumer was gone; I grabbed a chocolate chip cookie from behind the counter and shoved it into my pocket.

The guy returned, with a bottle of aspirin. "How much do you need?" He asked.

Enough to heal an unconscious person. I thought. "I'm not sure."

Raising an eyebrow he asked, "What do you need it for?"

"My friend…she's…" He might be able to help. "Well you see…I don't know what happened we were just walking along then she was all pale and freaking out, then she was like 'I'm Fine' but really she wasn't and she passed out!"

He just stood there. "Wait…so you need aspirin for an unconscious person?"

"Yeah…"

He looked down at the bottle as if reading it. "Just take the bottle." He said shoving it at me.

-----Fagan----

After that girl left, I closed up shop. I was supposed to meet Iggy a Sullivan's here soon.

When the shop was all closed up, I hung up my apron and walked out into the alley where my mom's car was. She was letting me borrow it tonight.

Pulling onto the high way, I made my way toward Somerville. The girl that was in the café early was hitchhiking and eating a cookie. Slowing down I pulled over to where she was and rolled eth window down. "You need a ride?" I asked.

"No." She replied. "I'm almost there."

Rolling up my window, I pulled out and watched as she disappeared into the bushes. Odd girl. I thought as I took off back down the road.

------Max-----

I awoke in a muddy ditch with a migraine, and my back pack was gone. The rain was falling through the trees onto me. I laid there on my back, watching it descend down, and slide down my cheek like a tear drop.

My whole body was numb, and tingly. Someone burst through the bushes startling me. It was nudge.

"Max! You're awake!" she yelled as she ran to the edge of the ditch. It reminded me of my freaky dream.

"I got you coffee." She said as she handed me the still warm cup. Gladly accepting it I sipped half of it down, and swallowed six pills. The coffee's hot bitter taste stung my tongue, but I still drank. Giving Nudge the rest I climbed out of the muddy ditch. My clothes were covered in mud and my head was still aching.

"Sorry." I said to her.

"Why are you apologizing? You passed out, nothing wrong with that." She replied as she sipped the coffee.

"We should go." I said as I wrapped my jacket tightly around myself. "We need to find a place to rest."

Nodding she helped me to my feet. The city was up ahead; all we needed to was find a nice alley. We found one that had a roof over it, and made ourselves at home in the back behind a dumpster.

Resting my head on my back pack, I curled up in a ball and listened to the rain hitting the side walk. Nudge fell asleep before I did. In fact I couldn't fall asleep.

An hour later a car pulled into the alley. Freezing in my place I listened as someone got out of the car, locked it, and went inside a side door. Once the door opened I could smell fresh cookies. My stomach churned.

After a few minutes I made my way to the door. Gently, I tested to see if it was unlocked. It was. I could smell the cookies already. The kitchen lights were out and no one was around. Then I spotted them, the plate of cookies. It felt like my stomach grew hands that were reaching for them.

As I reached the table, and was just about to grab a cookie, footsteps sounded in the hall. Quickly I dove under the table. The person walked to the door and locked it. Then they walked to the table and gabbed a cookie. When the person was gone, I climbed out from under the table.

Slowly, I grabbed one and ravenously devoured it. Just as I was reaching for another, the light flipped on. I was busted.

"Max?" It was Fagan.

"What-Why…What happened to you?" Looking down at my muddy clothes, replied. "I fell…down a muddy hill."

"Then you decided to break in here?"

"I didn't break in…the door wasn't locked." I exclaimed. As I whipped a smudge of mud off my cheek.

He took a step closer. Turning to run before he could do anything else, I forgot he locked eth door and slammed right into it. The force knocked me backward. "Ow…"

"Are you okay?" He asked as he leaned over me. Running into the door didn't help my head ache.

"Ow…" My hand flew up to my aching head, as I sat up. Pulling me to my feet, he pulled a chair up for me to sit in.

"Before you go running into any other door, would you please explain?"

**Please review! :)**


	8. Cookies and Lies

**when I wake up with the morning light I can always breathe  
somehow that never has meant much to me  
and I can't say I am thankful for the things I have  
I'm a hell of a guy  
living a hell of a lie**

**-Daniel Zott, Living a Lie**

**_Chapter eight_**

For those of you who have been reading this for a while, I changed the first chap a little bit…and put more details through some of the other chaps…but here's all you missed in the first chap that's important.

**Looking down into the light brown mixture of my tea, I nodded. Standing up, I put my tea cup on its blue saucer. Sweetly my mom kissed my cheek goodbye; my dad opened his arms to me for a hug. "The key to your escape is hidden beneath." He whispered into my ear. **

**Perplexed I took a step back. "Goodbye, Max." He said and walked away. Slowly I followed the doctor from the house into the yard.**

**-----Max-----**

"So your house was blown up by aliens, and you got away….and became a hobo on the streets of Boston?"

"Yeah…" I said as I ravenously drank down the delicious soup. The warm steam lifting from the bowl as I drank it down, hit my face like a warm cloud.

"Where are you from?" He asked as he sat down on the old wooden table the cookies were on. His dark hair had fallen loosely into his face; his eye brows where pushed together in perplexity, and his dark eyes just started at my muddy clothes.

"Umm…" Think of a random place. I thought to myself. "Awesome-Ville…"

"Awesome-Ville? And where's that?"

"Ugh…" I looked around then pointed toward the front of the store. "That way."

He just raised his eyebrow. "Okay, so orphan Annie," He said as she stood up and took my now empty bowl to the sink. "Where are you really from because I know Awesome-Ville doesn't really exist?"

I said nothing.

"And what really happened to your home because Aliens blowing it up is…not true." Crossing his arms over his chest he came and stood in front of me. Towering over my chair, making me feel like a little bug he could easily crush.

"I don't know…" I said as I let my head hang low in shame. My muddy hair fell over my shoulders, as I started at my dirty hands. I felt grouse and dirty and just wanted to leave.

After a few minutes of silence, I looked up at him wondering why he wasn't talking. He was just staring at me. "You are…hard to figure out." He said.

Shaking his head, he pulled up a chair and sat across from me. "Look, if you need a place to stay, my mom and dad are gone for the weekend, so you can stay in our extra room; get cleaned up, and I can wash your clothes."

Standing I replied. "That's sweet of you but, I can't. In fact I have to meet someone."

"At least get cleaned up, I mean your covered with mud."

Sighing I looked out the window to where Nudge was snuggled up and sound asleep. I guess it would be to bad.

"Fine." I said as I followed his up the metal twisty stairs. The hall was dark, until he flipped on a light and led me to a small bathroom. "You can clean up in here. I'll find you something to wear while I wash your clothes." He said, and disappeared into a room.

It didn't take long for him to return with some clothes. Hesitantly, I closed the door and locked it, slipped from my clothes. Cracking the door open a lit bit, I tossed my clothes, out then locked the door again.

The hot shower was refreshing, especial since it was real. That's strange dream still had my mind turning. Deep in thought, I watched the water twirl around, and then vanish into the drain.

____

When I was dressed, I peeked out the door, and down the halls. No one. My wet hair started to soak the shoulders of my shirt. "Hello…?" I quietly called down the hall. No reply.

The black T-shirt and shorts he gave me were a little baggy. Cautiously, I tip toed from the bathroom; the cool air whipped at my cold bare legs. A shiver, not from the cold, slithered up my back like a snake.

"Fagan?" I called quietly as I slowly made my way down the hall.

"It's good to see you again Max." The sly voice startled me, as I spun around on my heels to face Dr. Brigid. Nudge was standing next to her, with her hands on her hips, and an evil grin on her lips.

"You…?" I said as I stepped back. How could she betray me? "Where's Fagan?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Oh, you mean him." Dr. Brigid said pointing behind me. When I turned I saw Fagan's limp body laying on the floor at the feet of an Erazer. His shirt had been torn by claws across his chest.

At the sight of the poor bloodied boy, my stomach churned, quickly turning to stone. "You'll be coming with us." The doctor said as cold metal cuffs bound my hands behind me. I was too weak to fight back.

**Whether or not Fang lives, or ends up dead, depends on your review. Poor Poor Fang…The Chapter's will be longer next time :D**


	9. Tight Boxes

**I hang my coat up in the first bar  
there is no peace that I've found so far  
the laughter penetrates my silence  
as drunken men find flaws in science**

**-Snow Patrol, Set Fire to the Third Bar**

**_Chapter Nine_**

**-----Max-----**

Weakly, I opened my eyes. Rough leather bound my wrist behind me, keeping me tied to the cold metal pole that ran floor to roof. I looked around; Fang was tied to a metal pole like min. His clothes had been switched out to the white suits they put everyone in. His shirt was gone, and his chest had been bandaged.

Looking down at my own clothes, I realized they had put me in a white scrubs looking outfit.

My head was pounding with pain and confusion. We were in a padded white cell, with no door, no windows, and no escape. My heart began to race, as I thought of being trapped in here, and being turned into a lad rat.

A quiet moan of pain escaped Fang's lips. "Fang..?" I whispered as I kicked the bottom of his foot. One of his eyes fluttered open, and then fell closed. "Fang." I tried again, kicking his foot again. This time both his eyes opened. His head fell weakly against the pole as he tried to look up at me.

One of the walls slide to the side as Dr. Brigid and Jeb walked in. "Glad to see you're awake." She said with and evil grin. Two workers in gas masks came in behind them. "Bring them with us." Brigid said. On command, the workers untied us from the pole, but keeping out hands bound, drug us down the familiar dim hall.

"Do you feel good knowing because of you this poor boy is involved? You should feel rather guilty. I hope he thinks of you, while I'm deal with him." She said bitterly.

Looking over at Fang's barely conscious body, guilt gripped my stomach and twisted it into a knot. I'm sorry Fang. I thought, wishing I could let him know I was sorry.

"I'll cooperate and do whatever you want if you let him go." I said as I tried to twist out of the firm grip the worker held on me.

"Hum…" Dr. Brigid said as if she was thinking. "No."

"Please!" I begged, as I dropped myself to the ground, making it harder for the worker to pull me along. He just dropped my arms and grabbed my feet. My arms burned against the tile, as he drug me along. I twisted onto my side and kicked at him.

"I can see you'll be very cooperative." Brigid said sarcastically. The worker gave up, and pulled me off the ground by waist, and tossed me over his shoulder. "Put me down!" I cried as I pounded his back. An evil snicker escaped his mouth, causing a cold shiver to travel down my spine.

"Just let Fang go!" I cried.

"Nope…" Persistent, I looked a Jeb who was watching his feet.

"Dad…" I called quietly to him. I knew he wasn't actually the man who raised me but…I knew it got to him.

He paused in his steps, and then continued forward. A frustrated groan escaped me as I struggled to get away. Pushing against the workers back, I slipped off his shoulder and landed on the tile floor. My head smacked it hard. Soon everything blurred out to darkness.

_____

"You're escape plans suck." Fang said as my eyes fluttered open. "I woke up when you hit the ground."

I tried to sit up and was rewarded with a piercing pain that forced a pain filed moan from my lips. "Easy." Fang said as he helped me sit up.

"What happened after I fell?" I asked as I reached up to my temple to whip away the dripping blood.

"They just set us in this room." He replied. I looked around. We were cramped into a rather small room to small to stand in, and if you laid down, you'd have to curl up.

Gently, his finger tips brushed over the gash on my temple. "How do you feel?" He asked.

"Fine, just a head ache." I lied. I felt like hell; I just face planted onto a tile floor. "How's your chest?" I asked.

"Fine…" my head was spinning, and the walls felt like they were closing in on us.

"Where are we exactly?" Fang asked. I forgot I never told him about Itex and…my wings.

**Sorry that was dull and short…**


	10. Duck, Duck, Goose

**Heaven can wait **

**We're only watching the skies **

**Hoping for the best but expecting the worst**

**Are you going to drop the bomb or not?**

**-Alphaville, Forever Young **

As time passed the box grew hotter and hotter. I had yet to answer Fang's question, but I don't think that was what he was thinking about at the moment.

My head ache had slowed to a sore throbbing with the beat of my heart.

"Sorry I got you in to this." I whispered to Fang. He didn't say anything, just glanced at me, and then turned back.

Footsteps entered the room, followed by the sound of a rolling gurney. We both looked up to the top of the box, which was soon opened by more doctors hidden behind gas masks.

"Hello kitties." A boy's voice called to us with a British accent.

We just sat there, blankly staring at them. "Quiet ones, aren't they." The other doctor said, revealing the same British accent. The two doctors laughed, and then turned back to us.

"I'm Duck," the first one said. "And I'm Goose," Chimed in the second.

"Ha, Duck, duck, Goose." Fang joked. This was all too confusing, but Fang seemed to be fine with the random British boys.

"Are you…" I began, trying to fathom what was happening. "…even doctors?"

They looked at each other and laughed and pulled off the gas mask revealing identical faces; shaggy blond hair and blue eyes. "Nope." I looked at Fang who was smiling at the two jokesters.

"What…Why…?" I felt like I had so many questions to ask them, yet nothing was coming out. "Wh-" Fang cut me off. "What the rolling bed for."

"Gurney." I corrected as I stood up and climbed out of the cramped box.

"It's your escape." Duck said. "But," Goose began. "We can only take one of you."

I looked at Fang. "You go. I escaped before I can do it again." I lied knowing, it'd be impossible to escape again. An unreadable expression crossed Fang's face, as if he was considering something.

"I'm not what these people want, they'll let me go." He said as he stepped back from the gurney. Sighing I walked up to duck and Goose. "Do you have a sedative?" I asked.

Nodding, Goose reached in his pocket and pulled out a syringe. "What do you need that for?" Fang asked as I popped the cap off. "Sorry fang." I said as I walked up to him. His face went pale showing he realized what was happening.

Swiftly I stabbed the needle into his arm. Not long afterward his limp body collapsed into the ground. "Help me get him onto the gurney." I told Goose when he came to stand beside me.

Hauling Fang's body onto the gurney with the help of Goose, I looked down at his peaceful pale face. "Goodbye Fang." I said as I kissed his forehead. He mumbled something, surprising me that he was still conscious.

I sucked in a deep breath, and checked to see if the hall was clear. "See you on the other side." I said to Goose and Duck before I disappeared to the end of the hall.

The sound of wheels drew my attention to the door I just came from. Goose and Duck were pushing Fang's limp body down the hall. They looked like doctors and I knew they'd get Fang safely out of here.

Pushing through the large metal door, I stepped into the dim lit hall. "Well, well Maximum is getting out again." Nudge's familiar voice chimed from the end of the hall.

Slowly I turned to face her, and the quickly forming rows of masked doctors behind here.

**Dunnununununununununun Review**


	11. In the Eye of the Needle

**Do I divide and fall apart  
Cause my bright is too slight to hold back all my dark  
This ship went down in sight of land  
And at the gates does Thomas ask to see my hands?**

**-Brand New, Jesus Christ **

**_Chapter Eleven_**

**-Fang-**

"She's an idiot." I exclaimed to Goose as he pushed the gurney through the flickering halls.

"Something like that." He replied. Duck had gone ahead, looking in rooms looking for the exit. They had managed to forget the way out. I wasn't sure if they had randomly broken in or if they were part of this odd place.

"Guys!" Duck quietly called to us. "Look what I found."

As Goose pushed the gurney into the room Duck had entered, I sat up to look at the large farm house. The door closed behind us. With the door closed you couldn't tell you were in a room, it's just looked like a piece of land in the middle of nowhere. "What is this?" I asked as I climbed from the rolling bed.

"I'm not sure…" Duck answered. Curious, we climbed the front steps of the house and knocked on the door. Surprisingly a man answered. "Hello?"

"Hi ugh…" I wasn't sure what to say, since I didn't inspect someone to be here.

"Cat got your tongue boy?"

"Ugh…no sir."

"What are you doing out here anyways, no one comes this far out of town."

"Town? What is this place?"

"What do mean?"

"Ugh…" I wasn't sure what I meant. Duck and Goose came up behind me. "We're Duck and Goose, and this is Fagan, or Fang."

"Nice to meet you boys, I'm Jed. Now why don't you come sit down you look a little…lost."

We cautiously followed him through the door into the country style home. Its warm atmosphere was homey and sweet. I could smell fresh bread and flowers.

"Valencia! Maximum! Come meet our visitors."

A woman in a floral dress came out of the kitchen, wearing oven mitts on her hands and a young blonde girl, resembling Max exactly came down the stairs.

"I don't understand." I said under my breath.

Duck nudged me. "It's Max." I nodded slowly.

"Hello boys, are you hungry?" The women asked. "I just made dinner."

We didn't answered, just started at…Max; if it was even her.

**-Max-**

"No hard feelings, Max." Nudge said as she stepped closer to me. Maybe I could turn and run. I thought, but then I noticed the odd guns they held.

Brigid stepped forward. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

"What the hard way?" I asked as I took a step back. She didn't answer, just motioned for a doctor standing beside her. With a sly grin like a fox's he began to morph into an odd wolf looking monster.

Freaked out, I turned and ran; didn't get far before it slammed me into the wall. "Don't make it hard on yourself." It hissed as it pulled me back to the group of psychos. I struggled to get free.

Brigid pulled out a syringe and stuck it into my arm. The substance inside slowly took my consciousness.

Once again I was in the white shirt and gray pants. My wings protruded from my back, my hands and feet were bound, and my head ached.

I silently sat on a gurney, as a doctor took my blood and ran DNA tests. I didn't see the point in fighting anymore, I knew I had lost. More doctors examined my wings for injuries and such.

"Can you feel this?" a doctor asked as he picked a feather from my wing. A dull pain lingered where the feather had been. I nodded in reply.

A needled sunk into my arm, draining its substance into my blood stream.

How long would this last I wondered.


	12. Fraud All Around

**under the spell of full November moon  
light on the broom  
frost in my room  
in through a window came a ghost I knew  
she paid me a visit while I was in my bed  
sleepy, she said,  
"sleep as though dead  
for in the morning you are called"  
is what she said****  
-Jesca Hoop, The Kingdom**

**-Chapter Twelve-**

**-Fang-**

The girl smiled at us. "It's nice to meet you." she greeted.

This defiantly wasn't the real Max. She skipped down the stairs; her wavy blonde hair pouncing like a little girls pigtail. Her beaming smile gave her away; she was a clone of some sort.

"Where are we?" Goose asked the perfect family.

"You're in our home." The women answered with a large smile.

I looked at Duck and Goose giving them the 'We should leave' look.

"Oh look at the time, we should be going." Duck said as we all turned to leave.

"But you just got here." Max protested.

"So…" Goose said as we closed the door behind us. In vast steps we fled the room back into the dim halls of Itex.

Two doctors stood in the hall with dropped jaws. Once one started to reach for the pager hanging at his side, I slammed my fist into his jaw. Duck and Goose began fighting the other, who was much stronger than.

The one I was fighting swung a fist at me, which I dodged. His other fist jabbed my gut.

Swiftly I brought my knee into the man's stomach. Once her doubled forward I harshly brought my fist to the side of his head.

Duck and Goose had brought the opponent down, and now we stood there, looking up and down the hall trying to figure out where to go.

It decided with left which took us to these large double doors.

Quickly we pushed them open to reveal rows of tables and bored looking kids. No one seemed to notice us come in.

-Max-

When they were finally done, I was sent back to the dorm thing, only I had this chip in me that was like a house arrest thing.

I hope Fang got out safely.

I sat at the cafeteria table staring at the globs of so called food in front of me. It all reeked of mold and nastiness. Ew.

The clicking of the doors drew my attention to the three boys walking towards me.

Duck, Goose, and Fang.

**sorry that was really short **


End file.
